The present invention relates generally to irrigation systems, and more particularly, is directed to a self-sealed irrigation system adaptable for both intraoral and extraoral uses such as treating wounds, topical medication applications, site soakings, and the like.
Known devices have been used for circulating treatment solutions in a closed system. For example, devices known as surgical wound dams have been used for the irrigation of surgical wounds. These devices are typically formed of rubber and are bound tightly to the wound site with a bandage. These devices include an oval-shaped rubber member adapted for delivering fluids to the surgical wound. The rubber delivery member has a permeable membrane on the surface opposite the surgical wound through which fluid is delivered to the wound and an outer annular wall which seals the oval-shaped rubber member to the skin. An inlet tube and an outlet tube connected to the rubber delivery member are provided for delivering fluid to, and removing fluid from, respectively, the surgical wound site so that fluid can be recirculated to that site.
A drawback of these devices is that they do not apply the treatment solution uniformly over the treatment site. A further drawback of these devices is that they are susceptible to leaks. They provide no means for removing treatment solution which may escape the suction force of the outlet tube and leak past the permeable membrane. Also, should leakage occur in such a device, it is likely to interfere with the seal formed between the annular wall and the treatment site.
Closed irrigation systems have also been used in the area of dental treatment. These systems were developed to provide effective and safe means of treating the dentoalveolar structures with chemotherapeutic rinses while avoiding ingestion of the rinses into the digestive tract of the patient.
The benefits of using oral chemotherapeutic rinses in the treatment of a variety of oral maladies has long been recognized. For example, fluoride solutions have been applied to teeth for years in order to prevent or arrest the progression of dental caries. More recently, chlorahexidine solutions have been developed to combat gingivitis and periodontal disease. These solutions, as well as many other oral rinses, are agents in the prevention, treatment, and healing process of dentoalveolar structures.
A drawback of prior oral irrigation systems is that they have a tendency to leak causing the chemotherapeutic rinses to be ingested into the digestive tract. This can cause undesirable side effects. For example, if ingested in a sufficient quantity and concentration, fluoride can cause gastrointestinal distress. Chlorahexidine can impair a person""s ability to taste foods. The tremendous topical value of these agents is therefore mitigated by the potential side effects that might result if these agents are inadvertently ingested.
One known oral irrigation system utilizes a mouthpiece shaped to conform to the contours of the dentition. In this system, the treatment solution is pumped under high frequency pulsations to a chamber disposed within the mouthpiece. The chamber interconnects with a series of channels having outlets arranged along the mouthpiece so that the solution is ejected onto different areas of the teeth. The spent solution is evacuated through a second series of strategically placed outlets to a second chamber within the mouthpiece. An inlet tube and outlet tube connect the chambers of the mouthpiece to a pump which functions to circulate the solution through the mouthpiece in a closed system.
A drawback of this prior art device is that the space between the mouthpiece and the teeth is very small. This requires that an individualized mouthpiece be constructed for each patient. Thus, the device is incapable of being mass produced and hence is costly to manufacture. Furthermore, the mouthpiece of this device only covers the teeth and inter dental papillae thus limiting treatment to these areas. Accordingly, the device is not capable of covering, and thus not capable of treating, all of the entire dentoalveolar structures. Moreover, this prior art device suffers from the drawback of limiting both the volume and pressure of the solution which can be supplied to the treatment area.
Another drawback of this device is that it is not self-sealing. It relies on the suction emanating from the liquid return portion of the device, i.e., the second series of outlets, for both removing the spent solution and sealing the mouthpiece to the teeth and gums. This device does not provide a separate sealing mechanism which holds the mouthpiece in place and provides a barrier to the external environment. Consequently, the device is susceptible to leaks and is thus unreliable.
The present invention is directed to overcoming or at least minimizing some of the problems mentioned above.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a self-sealed irrigation system for general application is disclosed. The system supplies a treatment fluid, which may be either a liquid or a gas, to a treatment site utilizing a containment member which may take any one of the many forms described further herein. The flexible containment member includes a delivery channel which delivers the treatment fluid to the treatment site, a recovery channel supplied with a suction force, which removes the treatment solution from the treatment site and a sealing channel that hermetically seals the containment member to the treatment site. A delivery inlet coupling is provided which connects the delivery channel to a delivery pump external to the containment member. A recovery outlet coupling is also provided which connects the recovery channel to a suction pump external to the containment member. A suction outlet coupling is further provided for connecting the sealing channel to the suction pump. In one embodiment, the suction pump may also function as the delivery pump.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a self-sealed oral irrigation system for oral use is disclosed. It includes a reservoir of treatment fluid, a suction pump and a generally U-shaped mouthpiece which is formed to cover the dentoalveolar structure to be treated. The mouthpiece includes a delivery channel having a plurality of holes which deliver treatment fluid to the dentoalveolar structure to be treated, a recovery channel supplied with a suction force for removing the spent treatment solution, and a sealing channel which surrounds the dentoalveolar structure and hermetically seals the mouthpiece to the patient""s gums. The recovery channel has a plurality of holes equally spaced along the perimeter of the mouthpiece through which spent treatment solution is removed from the dentoalveolar structure. The sealing channel may either be open or closed having a plurality of suction ports. A suction pump is connected to the mouthpiece via couplings and is coupled to a fluid reservoir.
The present invention also provides a method of irrigating a treatment site with a treatment fluid in a closed system. The method includes the steps of hermetically sealing the treatment site from an outside environment with a sealing means utilizing a suction force, delivering treatment fluid from a reservoir to the treatment site and applying the treatment fluid to the treatment site. The method also includes the steps of removing spent treatment solution from the treatment site through a recovery means. Any spent treatment solution which may have escaped the recovery means is then removed through the sealing means which preferably surrounds the entire treatment site, so as to prevent leakage of the spent treatment solution to the outside environment. The method also includes the step of purifying spent treatment solution for recirculation through the system.